SSD question(SOLVED) thanks GROOVE

[Jim]

I'm finally fed up with waiting on HDD's to spin up , I use the PC for a couple of Battlefield titles and the web.What should I get for hardware and how to proceed as in RAID 0 or M2 ? or whatever ,googled some but I'm unsure what's best ,don't want to spend any more than is necessary ,thanks in advance

[Groove]

Well, going from an HDD to an SSD based drive is a HUGE step up and you will immediately notice the difference. SSDs are fairly cheap now and are for the most part extremely reliable, so I'd say it's a pretty good time to ditch mechanical HDDs.

Regarding Raid 0, most people will opt for that option when they go with standard SATA based SSDs. It can provide a nice boost in performance in some cases but just like any Raid 0 array (SSD or HDD) you will have to deal with it's potential downsides.

M.2 SSDs come in two flavors... SATA based M.2 and NVMe based M.2. Basically, M.2 SSDs that are SATA based are SSDs that are pretty much the same as standard SATA SSDs, they simply have an M.2 interface. On the other hand, NVMe M.2 SSDs share the same interface (M.2) but are not limited by the SATA protocol since they use NVMe and have the potential to be much faster (which they typically are). The main downside with NVMe SSDs though is that they are fairly expensive. I'd even say that they can get into the realm of diminishing returns in terms of "gaming" performance since even if they have 5x the sequential read speed of a standard SSD, your games won't necessarily load 5x faster type of thing.

IMO the best bang for the buck in terms of performance/capacity is by far going with a standard SSD. In your particular case, going from a mechanical drive to an SSD for your main drive will definitely provide a huge improvement, even if you decide to go with a single SSD instead of going with a Raid array.

[Jim]

Hey thanks Groove that's a fantastic and informative answer ,I'll go for a single then,is the a latest standard I should for ?

[Groove]

There are several good options to choose from at the moment. Around here the Crucial MX300 is a popular one, I'm sure others can pitch in as well, but If I'd be buying an SSD right now I'd probably go with the MX300.

You can get some decent deals on 250Gb SSDs at the moment but personally I'd go with something in the 500Gb range since it provides a lots more breathing room and are often on special for 40-50$ more than the 250Gb ones.

[Lysrin]

I second the Crucial recommendation. I have a couple already, older models, and have just bought an MX300 and am waiting for it to arrive (darn snowstorms...). I have had excellent luck with Crucial drives.

[Jim]

Thanks guys ! that helps a great deal

[Bartacus]

ADATA should be on your list too. My last 4 SSDs have been ADATA, and I find them to be a great bang-for-the-buck drive. You won't notice any speed differences among SATA drives unless your a benchmark guy. Real world difference between SATA drives is minimal.

[Jim]

Went with this an open package one $165 ,free freight,should be good yea? ,the m2 location accommodates two different lenghts https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Groove]

Actually you might want to double check the compatibility for M.2 devices on your board. If you are using the Z97-A listed in your sig I think that board only support PCIe based SSDs (aka NVMe) and do not support SATA-based SSDs. You should confirm this before ordering it.

Worse case, just go with a regular SSD, basically same performance and the non M.2 version is probably cheaper as well...

[Jim]

Originally Posted by Groove

Actually you might want to double check the compatibility for M.2 devices on your board. If you are using the Z97-A listed in your sig I think that board only support PCIe based SSDs (aka NVMe) and do not support SATA-based SSDs. You should confirm this before ordering it.

Worse case, just go with a regular SSD, basically same performance and the non M.2 version is probably cheaper as well...

Yes sir ! will do,thanks, yea I am using the z97